Removable lip for a container



J. PINTER, JR

Dec. 5, 1967 REMOVABLE LIP FOR A CONTAINER Filed July 12, 1965 INVENTOR.

JOSEPH PINTER JR.

United States Patent 3,356,266 REMOVABLE LIP FOR A CONTAINER Joseph Pinter, Jr., 1130 W. Walker St., Milwaukee, Wis. 53204 Filed July 12, 1965, Ser. No. 471,348 8 Claims. (Cl. 222-492) The present invention relates to a removable lip for a container, and more particularly to lip structure to be affixed to the open end of a paint can or other similar container.

Many containers for paint, stain, lacquer, varnish, and similar products are constructed with a groove in the up wardly facing edge of the container for receiving a cover having a flange constructed and placed such that when the cover is placed on the container and pressed down the flange is forced into the groove. This construction creates a seal when the cover is in place such that the contents of the container are not exposed to atmosphere. EX- posure of the contents should be avoided since it may lead to evaporation of the contents or cause a thick film to form on the contents. In either event, waste is the result. Also, if .a film forms and is not properly and completely removed, the rest of the contents carry pieces of the film which interferes with the proper use and application of the contents.

Various methods have been tried to keep the groove in the upwardly facing edge of the container from. filling up with container contents (particularly those contents which are applied with a brush) during use and pouring to prevent spilling and running over the sides. Cleaning the edges with a brush used for applying the contents is one popular means of dealing with the problem. Another means of dealing with the problem is tapping a plurality of nail holes or other apertures in the bottom of the groove so that contents which get into the groove will drip or flow through the apertures back into the container.

Such solutions to the problem as are stated above partially solve the problem, but spattering still occurs when the lid or cover is pressed down in place. Also, after the can has been closed for a time, the contents remaining in the groove dries and causes the cover or lid to stick when'subsequent attempts to remove the cover are made.

The present invention proposes to overcome all of the problems previously stated-by providing a container lip which snaps down over the upwardly facing edge of the container when the same is in use, thus preventing contents from entering the groove in said edge. Also, the lip of the present invention is shaped to be inclined upwardly toward the outer periphery of said edge of the container so that if contents are poured over the lip or applied by a brush requiring wiping against the lip, contents on the lip runs back down into the can.

The lip of the present invention can be, and is in its preferred form, constructed to provide a pouring spout and a holder for a brush, mixing stick, or other similar implement.

It should be obvious to those skilled in this field of art that the concept of the present invention can be applied equally well to containers for solids, as for example granular materials, as liquids. Further, the concept of the present invention can be applied equally well to square, circular, or other shaped upper edges of containers by producing the lip in the like shape. For the purposes of this application, the invention will be explained in terms of a typical cylindrical paint can.

It is, therefore, an-object of the present invention to provide a lip for a container having an upwardly facing edge when opened which snaps on and off of the container over said edge and is shaped to cause contents received on said lip to drain back into the container.

3,356,266 Patented Dec. 5, 1967 It is another object of the present invention to provide a device of the character described above which includes a pouring spout.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a device of the character described above which includes an implement holding structure.

It should be here stated that while in the preferred structure hereinafter described the invention is taught to be constructed from resilient material such as plastic or hard rubber or the like because of the ease in molding or extruding the same, it could also be constructed from light metals and other materials of appropriate gauge to permit the same to snap on and off.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as this description proceeds, as will various modifications and changes which can be made to the structure of the device without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Such additional objects, advantages, modifications and changes are intended to be covered by the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention in its preferred form;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the structure in FIG. 1 in position over the upwardly facing edge of a container shown in dotted line;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional View of the structure shown in FIG. 3 taken along line 44 of FIG. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a portion of the structure shown in FIG. 3 taken along line 5-5 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, a container lip is disclosed in vertical cross-section and is generally identified by the numeral 10. In vertical cross-sectional dimension lip 10 is generally triangular in shape and includes a base 12, a downwardly extending inner leg 14 at one end of base 12, and a downwardly extending outer leg 16 at the end of base 12 remote from leg 14. Legs 14 and 16 and base 12 are one molded or extruded unit. As legs 14 and 16 extend from their respective ends of base 12 they converge, but before meeting terminate in hooks or bumpers 18 and 20 respectively. Hooks '18 and 20 flare away from each other in divergent directions. Container lip 10 is shown in preferred form as "being constructed from a resilient material.

Specific attention should now be directed to FIG. 2 of the drawings wherein there is disclosed in cross-section the side wall 22 of a typical container. Fixed to the uppermost extremity of side wall 22 as viewed in FIG. 2 is a cover receiving lip 24. Lip 24 is shaped in cross-section such that the upper surface 26 of lip 24 defines an upwardly facing groove or channel for receiving in frictional engagement the flange of a typical container cover (not shown). FIG. 2 further discloses lip 10 in place over cover receiving lip 24 with inner leg 14 and outer leg 16 gripping side wall 22 and lip 24 and base 12 covering the entirety of the groove formed by surface 26.

In FIG. 3 the upwardly facing surface 28 of base 12 is shown as viewed from above. It can be seen by viewing FIGS. 3 and 4 that in a preferred embodiment of lip 10 a portion thereof is molded, extruded or formed depend ing upon the materials of which lip 10 is constructed to form a pouring spout 30. FIG. 4 also discloses the container bottom 32, supporting side wall 22 and closing the container at one end by virtue of its sealed, fixed engagement with wall 22.

An additional feature of a preferred embodiment of lip 10 is disclosed in FIGS. 3 and 5 of the drawings and consists of a pair of spaced flaps 34 and 36 respectively. Flaps 34 and 36 are generally rectangular as viewed in top plan view and the margins 38 and 40 thereof respectively which are most remote from each other are molded or otherwise fixed to surface 28 of lip 10. Flaps 34 and 36, when disposed as shown in FIG. 5, converge as they approach each other, but do not meet. As a result of the fixed engagement of flaps 34 and 36 with surface 28, flaps 34 and 36 are resilient but continuously biased toward their respective positions indicated in FIG. 5. It can therefore be seen that various instruments such as a paint brush, mixing stick, or the like can be snapped into frictional holding engagement with flaps 34 and 36.

It will, therefore, be seen that the structure herein described accomplishes the objectives of the present invention previously set forth.

I claim:

1. A lip for a container having a bottom closure and a side wall extending upwardly therefrom including an annular base having smooth parallel top and bottom surfaces, a pair of legs spaced radially and angularly disposed relative to said base fixed at one end of each respectively to the inner annular extremity and outer annular extremity of said base and depending therefrom such that said base has an upper surface which when said lip is engaged with a container inclines upwardly from its innermost extremity to its outermost extremity relative to said container, said legs converging as they approach their respective extremities remote from said base for receiving and frictionally engaging the upper extremity of the container side wall.

2. The invention as set forth in claim 1, wherein said base and surface includes a pour spout.

3. The invention as set forth in claim 1, wherein said base and surface includes implement engaging structure.

4. A lip for a container having a bottom closure and a side wall extending upwardly therefrom including an annular base having smooth top and bottom surfaces and a pour spout and implement engaging structure included therein, a pair of legs spaced radially and angularly disposed relative to said base fixed at one end of each respectively to the inner annular extremity and outer annular extremity of said base and depending therefrom, said legs converging as they approach their respective extremities remote from said base for receiving and frictionally engaging the upper extremity of the container side wall, said base being angularly disposed relative to said legs such that said base has an upper surface which when said legs are engaged with the upper extremity of the container side wall inclines upwardly from its innermost extremity to its outermost extremity relative to said container.

5. In combination, a container including a bottom closure, side wall structure fixed to said bottom closure and extending upwardly therefrom, and lip structure including an annular base having smooth top and bottom surfaces, and a pair of legs spaced radially and angularly disposed relative to said base fixed at one end of each respectively to the inner annular extremity and outer annular extremity of said base and depending therefrom, said legs converging as they approach their respective extremities remote from said base for receiving and frictionally engaging the upper extremity of said side Wall structure, said upper surface of said base inclining upwardly from its innermost extremity to its outermost extremity relative to said container.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 5, wherein said base and surface includes a pour spout.

7. The combination as set forth in claim 5, wherein said base and surface includes implement engaging structure.

8. In combination; a container including a bottom closure, side wall structure fixed to said bottom closure and extending upwardly therefrom; and lip structure including an annular base having smooth top and bottom surfaces and an included pour spout and implement engaging structure, and a pair of legs spaced radially and angularly disposed relative to said base fixed at one end of each respectively to the inner annular extremity and outer annular extremity of said base and depending therefrom, said legs converging as they approach their respective extremities remote from said base for receiving and frictionally engaging the upper extremity of said side wall structure, said base being angularly disposed relative to said legs such that said base has an upper surface which when said legs are frictionally engaged with the upper extremity of said side wall structure inclines upwardly from its innermost extremity to its outermost extremity relative to said container.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,564,979 8/1951 Jorgensen 222570 X 2,573,378 10/1951 Zurlinden 222109 X 2,722,347 11/1955 Henke 222570 2,812,886 11/1957 Weinstein 222569 2,837,256 6/1958 Daner 222570 X 2,873,881 2/ 1959 Nichols.

3,016,169 l/1962 Kirshenbaum 220- X 3,074,604 1/1963 Baroud 222569 3,221,955 12/1965 Banaszak et a1. 222570 3,239,113 3/1966 Knize 222569 RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Primary Examiner. 

5. IN COMBINATION, A CONTAINER INCLUDING A BOTTOM CLOSURE, SIDE WALL STRUCTURE FIXED TO SAID BOTTOM CLOSURE AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY THEREOF, AND LIP STRUCTURE INCLUDING AN ANNULAR BASE HAVING SMOOTH TOP AND BOTTOM SURFACES, AND A PAIR OF LEGS SPACED RADIALLY AND ANGULARLY DISPOSED RELATIVE TO SAID BASE FIXED AT ONE END OF EACH RESPECTIVELY TO THE INNER ANNULAR EXTREMITY AND OUTER ANNULAR EXTREMITY OF SAID BASE AND DEPENDING THEREFROM, SAID LEGS CONVERGING AS THEY APPROACH THEIR RESPECTIVE EXTREMITIES REMOTE FROM SAID BASE FOR RECEIVING AND FRICTIONALLY ENGAGING THE UPPER EXTREMITY OF SAID SIDE WALL STRUCTURE SAID UPPER SURFACE OF SAID BASE INCLUDING UPWARDLY FROM ITS INNERMOST EXTREMITY TO ITS OUTERMOST EXTREMITY RELATIVE TO SAID CONTAINER. 